112 The Chase 



but the chase was much longer ; and in the course 

 of it, the fox made its way to a nobleman's park. 

 It had been customary to stop hounds before they 

 could enter it, but the best-mounted sportsmen 

 attempted to stay the Dorsetshire hounds in vain. 

 The dogs topped the highest fences, dashed through 

 herds of deer and a number of hares, without taking 

 the least notice of them : and ran into their fox, 

 and killed him some miles beyond the park. It was 

 the unanimous opinion of the whole hunt, that it 

 was the finest run ever known in that country. 

 A collection of field-money was made for the 

 huntsman much beyond his expectations ; and he 

 returned to Stepleton in better spirits than he left it. 

 Before this pack was raised in Dorsetshire, the 

 hounds that hunted Cranbourn Chase, hunted all 

 the animals promiscuously, except the deer, from 

 which they were necessarily kept steady, otherwise 

 they would not have been suffered to hunt in the 

 chase at all. 



From " Hones Table BookT 



Shakespeare on Hounds <:> o 



. . . was with Hercules and Cadmus once, 

 When in a wood of Crete they bay'd the bear 

 With hounds of Sparta : never did I hear 

 Such gallant chiding ; for, besides the groves. 

 The skies, the fountains, every region near 

 Seem'd all one mutual cry : I never heard 

 So musical a discord, such sweet thunder. 



Midsummer Night^s Dream^ IV. I, 117. 



Thy hounds shall make the welkin answer them 

 And fetch shrill echoes from the hollow earth. 



Taming of the Shrew, Ind. 2, 46. 



